


Black Holes And Revelations

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Series: The Professional [2]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-26
Updated: 2011-07-26
Packaged: 2017-10-21 18:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ariadne thought that Arthur had died helping to save her life. Little did she know, he was alive and well in Chicago, watching over her and making sure she was all right.</p><p> </p><p>Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/190912">Falling Into Your Sunlight.</a> Some readers for the first fic had been disappointed about the lack of smut. Those readers will now be very, very happy. ;) This incorporates <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/inception_kink/17044.html?thread=34967956#t34967956">two</a> <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/inception_kink/17669.html?thread=36659205#t36659205">picture</a> prompts in the kink meme. Title from Muse. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Holes And Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> This is my 100th posted story in Inception. It's kind of fitting that the next completed story is an A/A fic, given that my very first one in this fandom was the A/A fic ["Lost Where I Belong."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/107752%22) I blame the kink meme. I think it's pretty safe to blame everything on the kink meme. :) There's been lots of good times in the past 100 stories!

Ariadne fell into a routine as she settled into Chicago. She woke and checked the security system in the apartment, exercised, showered, dressed, locked up and left for school. She kept her gun in its pocket holster in the bottom of her bag; she knew she would never get to it in time if someone was truly after her, but it made her feel safer to have it with her. She knew Eames and Yusuf would approve of that, since they wanted her safe. Once a month she went to a shooting range to practice with both of her guns, just to be sure that her skills didn't fade with time.

Lately she had a crawling sensation between her shoulder blades, as if she was being watched. It made no sense, as she was nobody important. Yusuf had continually checked with his sources in the underground, and her name had never come up for another hit or for a police search. It was as if she didn't exist as far as anyone was concerned, so she should be safe. She still felt as if she was being watched or followed. If she had learned one thing from living with Arthur for those three months, it was how to stay alive by listening to her instincts.

The weather in Chicago always seemed to shift back and forth rapidly, as if it couldn't quite make up its mind. Weather whiplash, one of her new classmates had said. They found it amazing that she was living on her own for school, and were properly sympathetic when she explained she was an orphan and living in her cousin's apartment. There was no need to explain that her brother and mother had been killed because of her brother's drug dealing ties, or that she had learned how to shoot and kill to get revenge for their murders. She could pretend during school hours that she was a perfectly ordinary girl with perfectly ordinary problems, that homework and projects and the inevitable heartbreaking critique sessions were the only things in her life that could possibly go wrong.

But she still felt like she was being followed. It hadn't gone away throughout the entire first year of her college education. If anything, the creeping feeling along her spine grew worse when Eames and Yusuf came to visit. They were all huddled in the small apartment over the winter break, a makeshift family of sorts spending the holiday together. Eames regaled her with nonsensical stories about his exploits back home, and Yusuf managed to help explain economics to her in easier terms than her professor had. She e-mailed them regular updates and sometimes random photos, which they seemed to appreciate.

They didn't speak of Arthur. It was almost as if he was the ghost in the room they couldn't talk about for fear of making him materialize.

Ariadne wondered sometimes if she had really felt anything for him, or if it had all been due to the intense nature of the situation. Had she loved him for himself, or for the way he was able to teach her to defend herself? She had barely known him, after all. He had been the cute, quiet neighbor before he had given her a safe place to stay. He was the one that had been beholden to mafioso types and was a hired assassin. Arthur had been like a wild thing caged, restrained but aching to be set loose on the world.

Still, she measured the boys in her classes against him. They were boys still, posturing and making themselves look bigger by putting down others. Ariadne left them alone, feeling older than her eighteen years. They were too young for her and couldn't keep her interest. She didn't care about which bar ignored the fake ID's flashed at the bartenders, or which places had the cheapest alcohol. She paid her rent, got her groceries, did her exercises, practiced with her weapons and completed her homework. This was her life now. This was normal, even if it felt like something was missing.

When summer came around again, Ariadne couldn't wait to get into a dress and walk around outside. The winter had been especially cold and windy, with drifts of snow piling up with the express purpose of tormenting her. It was harder to hide her weapons under warm weather clothes, of course, but the Bersa she preferred fit easily enough into her purse. She normally didn't go for frilly and girly things like dresses or strappy heels, but it seemed like a nice way to celebrate the summer finally arriving. The rest of the time, she could wear corduroys or jeans and layered shirts that hid the shoulder rig that she wore throughout the day. Ariadne would lose time digging into her purse for the gun, but there was always just swinging it at someone's head and running. It was an art to walk in strappy heels like the ones she was wearing, but it was one she had perfected. She would never be intimidating due to height, but at least an extra three inches would make her look a little less vulnerable.

The feeling of being followed that early summer day was even worse than before. Ariadne kept a tight hold on her purse as she ducked into an alley. She had spent the prior fall and winter learning the streets and neighborhoods of Chicago. It might have been paranoid, but it paid to be prepared.

As she thought there might be, there were footsteps behind her when she went far enough in the alley. She spun around, Bersa in hand. The figure rushed at her, not perturbed in the slightest, and Ariadne didn't think twice about pulling the trigger.

The bullet should have slammed into her assailant's chest, but it sailed right past him as he ducked low. The glint of his smile seemed almost familiar, and that stopped her from pulling the trigger a second time. This allowed him to slam her against the wall, moving out of the shadows and into the light. He yanked her arms above her head, her purse clattering to the ground beneath her. She kept hold of the Bersa, but moved her finger to the trigger guard to keep from shooting wildly into the air. She twisted to try to fight him off, but he anticipated her movements. When she got a good look at who was holding her, Ariadne gasped. "Arthur?"

That explained the grin. "I'm so glad you remember the training."

"I thought... We all thought..."

"I know. There was no other way to get away from the Fischers. I had to try, and everyone's reactions had to be real."

The pain that had been in Ariadne's chest seemed to ease. "So what now?"

Arthur grinned at her, dimples showing. It was fascinating, because she had never seen him smile like that before. The most she had gotten was a slight quirk of the lips if she had done something right in training. He kept both of her wrists in his left hand and let the right trail down the rise of her chest. "There's time now," he murmured. "I stayed away a year to be sure that no one followed you, no one pieced anything together. There hasn't been a whisper of threat around you, and everyone thinks I'm dead." He ran the ball of his thumb over the spot her nipple was, eyes darkening in desire when her breath caught. "You're the only one that knows I'm here."

"I could be seeing someone," Ariadne challenged, not wanting to make this easy for him. Dammit, she had spent the past year thinking he was dead, dreaming about him when she slid her hand between her thighs. She wasn't going to simply part her legs and give him everything. He had to earn it after what had happened.

"You aren't. I've been following you." His thumb made another swipe across her nipple. "I wanted to be sure I could protect you if you needed it."

"I can protect myself."

"I see that," Arthur agreed, a half smile on his face. He stroked her nipple, making slow and lazy circles across the fabric of her dress. "You hesitated before firing again."

"Your smile was familiar," Ariadne admitted. She let her chin jut out defiantly, ignoring the thrill that ran through her at his delighted laugh. "I won't make that mistake again."

"See that you don't," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

He had been like a wild thing caged before, every desire repressed to the breaking point. Now that he was free and not beholden to anyone else, those desires were let loose. She could almost taste it on her tongue when his stroked hers. She could feel it in his touch, that he had wanted this for so long and only now was allowing himself free rein to act on it.

Heat pooled low in her belly, and she could feel her panties cling to the dampness between her legs. It would have been embarrassing if she didn't want him so much.

Arthur moved his hand from her breast, and she made a soft mewling sound of protest. He pulled back and watched her expression as he lifted the skirt of her dress, then ran his fingertips along her bare thigh. "What do you want, Ariadne?" he asked, voice rough with desire. She could barely breathe in response to it. "Do you want me? Or are you going to punish me for having to lie to you for so long? I did what I had to do to keep us safe, Ariadne. You have to believe me. I couldn't allow any of those factions to hurt you. I couldn't allow them near you. I needed you to be safe."

The intensity of his tone and gaze made her shiver. She shifted slightly under his touch, until his fingers brushed against the edge of her panties. "You have a lot of making up to do, Arthur," she replied, meeting his gaze head on. "You'd better start now."

He shifted his hand until the tips of his fingers brushed against the front of her panties. "Like this?" he asked, knowing he was teasing her. He could practically scent her arousal already.

"You can do better than that," Ariadne taunted.

Arthur's smile was deliciously wicked. "Oh, I definitely can."

He slid his fingers into her panties, taking his time to stroke her skin gently. He watched as her lips parted and her eyes dilated, her breath coming in short pants. Arthur shifted so that he could push his fingers inside her, then dragged his slicked fingers across her clit. Arthur deliberately moved around in slow circles, as if he couldn't find it. It was obvious by the way her breath fractured as his fingers brushed over it, and Arthur grinned. "I think it's hiding."

"Bastard," she growled, shifting her hips.

Chuckling, Arthur leaned in slightly, pushing his fingers harder against her clit. "Oh, there it is," he teased. Ariadne made a soft mewling noise. "I take it you like that."

"Arthur," she whispered, looking up at him and licking her lips. "I will _kill_ you if you stop."

He quickened his pace in response to that, making her buck and writhe against his hand. Her skirt was bunched up over his wrist, and she couldn't see what he was doing to her. Still, she could feel it, and oh God could she _feel_ it. He watched her expression carefully. Ariadne thought that being under that intense gaze was possibly one of the most erotic sensations she had ever had. She bit her lip and looked at him through her eyelashes, "Make me come," she said, voice fracturing as her body tightened. She was close, so close, and Arthur's smirk was utter temptation.

He kissed her roughly just a fraction of a second before she came. His tongue in her mouth muffled her cries, and he slowed his touch. Ariadne sagged heavily against the wall, chest heaving with the effort to breath. "Take me home," he told her, voice rough with desire.

"You know where I live, don't you?" she asked breathlessly.

He grinned at her. "What do you think?"

"I think you do. I think you're the reason why I kept looking over my shoulder. I felt like I was followed."

"I might have," Arthur allowed. He slid his hand from her panties and licked his fingers. "I would never enter your home uninvited."

Their eyes were still locked, and Ariadne wished she knew how to teleport. She felt the slick stickiness between her legs and the sweet singing in her veins. "Come home with me," Ariadne told him, grasping hold of his shirt as soon as he released her arms. "You belong there with me."

Ariadne couldn't get him home fast enough. He looked over her security routine with approval, seated in a chair and watching her with a languid expression. She kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her panties. Arthur tracked their movement, smirking at the damp spot on the fabric. He watched her approach and spread his legs wide so that she could stand there between them. He reached out and grasped her waist. "I've waited a long time," he said, a slight hoarseness betraying the nerves he would never admit to. He pulled the skirt up, bunching it up. It bared her rear, and Ariadne simply placed her hands on his shoulders. "I've wanted this for a long time, Ariadne."

"You never acted on it," she murmured, watching his expression closely.

"It wasn't safe to," he told her quietly. His hands shifted until he was stroking her bared skin, and Ariadne suppressed a shiver at the contact. "I had to keep you safe at all costs."

Ariadne pulled at his shoulders slightly. "Come to bed," she said, smiling when he stood and towered over her. She led the way, their fingers twined together. She undressed him slowly, then pushed him down across her narrow bed. "I've waited a long time, too, you know." She smiled at his surprised look. "So now I want to take my time."

She knelt at the edge of her bed and started to lick and nuzzle his erection. She hoped she seemed more confident about this than she actually was; some awkward fumbling in high school didn't exactly make her an expert at this. Arthur made a soft contented sound, however, so she kept going. Her fingers brushed against his thighs, spreading them wider so that she could lick at his balls, pulling one into her mouth. He sighed again, his legs widening a bit so that she could fit more easily between them. She carded her fingers through the curling hair there, then ran a fingernail along his cock. Ariadne shifted her attention to the base of it, licking little lines and swirls along the sensitive skin. When she took him into her mouth, he groaned and tilted his hips slightly. He had her sheet caught in his fist, pulling at it. She assumed it was so that he wouldn't simply push her head down over him, which she was grateful for. She brought her mouth down over him as far as she could go without gagging, and brushed her fingertips over the rest of it. Ariadne bobbed her head up and down slowly, her tongue running along the length of him. Arthur groaned again, and Ariadne had to suppress a smile and remember to breathe.

Turnabout was fair play, after all.

"Stop," he finally ground out. "I wanna be inside you," Arthur groaned, reaching for her. "Ariadne..."

She let go of him, her jaw aching anyway. Eyes locked to his, she rose to her feet and unzipped the back of her dress. She let it fall from her shoulders, pooling at her feet. Next came the bra, and she was completely bared to his gaze. Arthur eyed her hungrily, licking his lips as he reached for her.

Ariadne straddled his waist and he guided himself up into her. She sank down slowly, adjusting to the feel of him thick and full inside of her. Her breath caught, and Arthur placed his hands along her hips. "This is amazing enough already. It's been a while," he admitted, letting his fingers ghost over her skin.

She reached behind her and grasped his thighs for balance. "We'll go slow, then?" she asked, shifting her hips slightly over his.

Arthur's grin was downright feral. "Next time, maybe."

He started to move her over him, setting a rapid pace. Ariadne caught it easily and moved over him, watching his face contort in pleasure. It felt good, but she was a long way from coming again. It was over much too soon, and she settled herself over him with a disappointed sigh.

"That's why I said next time," Arthur murmured, stroking the back of his head. "And there's the time after that. Or after that..."

"Pretty damn sure of yourself, aren't you?" Ariadne teased, smacking his chest lightly.

"I have a lot of time to make up for, don't I?"

There were dozens of unasked questions that she had, but she didn't feel like asking them yet. "I did say that, yes," she said instead.

Arthur chuckled, a warm and uncomplicated sound that rolled through her. She liked the sound of it and the sound his heartbeat beneath her ear. She had spent the past year thinking he was dead, after all. Just knowing he was alive would have been enough. But to have him alive and with her? That was even better.

"You owe me," Ariadne said, moving to kiss his jaw tenderly. "And I intend to collect."

Arthur held her tightly. "With interest," he agreed, nodding solemnly.

They could work out the details later. For now, this was enough.

The End


End file.
